That was in the late 90s, when she was in her mid-twenties. Now, Julia has established herself as one of the most respected environmentalist of this time. What make her special is her conscious effort to choose what is right as much as she can. She practices what she preaches. That includes being vegan, not using a car, bringing her own utensil when eating out, using recycled paper and organic ink for her books, planning her travel so she doesn’t ride on airplanes that often, and giving her taxes to causes she thinks they must be used.
To some, hers is extreme activism. But for Julia, it’s called integrity. Apparently, she’s learned a lot from Luna, living in solitude away from the buzz of mundane routines that keep us helplessly pre-occupied. Since her widely publicized tree-sitting protest, which remains to be the longest in history, Julia had little fear about fitting in and pleasing others. As long as she gets her point across, she plans to keep toiling and doing her share in reducing carbon footprint.
Standing 5 feet and nine inches, Julia has the looks that would pass for a celebrity. But her physical appearance doesn’t do justice to how beautiful she is inside. She cares a whole lot more than all of us combined. Julia is the type of person who would stand by her beliefs no matter what is at stake. What more proof do we need after her two-year residence on top of Luna?
The good news is that she has created a buzz. People who used to ignore irresponsible logging became more aware of the dangers it brings. Julia succeeded to bring environmental issues on the front page and into the headlines. She is yet to do it again and knowing Julia, it could just be a matter of time before we see her on top of the world once more. There isn’t any hindrance so high that she couldn’t climb and conquer.
That’s what makes Julia so inspiring. She’s the type who would go out of her way for anything that she thinks will be good for the majority and in the long run:
"But we have to invest just as much time, if not more, in creating what is right. Rebuilding communities, instead of always focusing on the big political actions, is what gives us strength. It’s like a pyramid: its strength is at its base, its foundation. We’ve spent so much time looking at the powers at the top of the pyramid that we’ve disconnected ourselves from the base." (Source: The Sun Magazine)
Julia “Butterfly” Hill’s Early Life
Julia Lorraine Hill is the middle child of Dale Edward Hill, a traveling preacher turned entrepreneur, and Kathleen Anne DelGallo. She’s their only daughter as she only has an elder and a younger one, Mike and Dan, respectively. Julia was born on 18 February 1974 in Mount Vernon, Missouri. Her father then headed a ministry called “Freedom Church” in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. She started attending a private school when she was around five years old. She would only complete her first and second grade in that school.
Dale decided to become a traveling evangelist, so Julia, with the rest of the family, had to live in a thirty-foot camping trailer for about five years. She was home-schooled from grades three through eight and began attending co-ed high school when their family settled in Jonesboro (Craighead County) in 1990 where she completed her high school studies in 1991. As a teen, home-schooled for the most part of her life, she had a hard time fitting in. She described her high school life in an interview:
"I didn't belong, I didn't fit in. I didn't understand other people; I didn't know how to relate. ... There's a line of a poem that just ran through me: "I feel like I've been dropped from an alien stork into the womb of the comfortably numb," the womb being our society. That's how I felt then, and that's how I sometimes feel now. ... I have been stubborn and getting into trouble since I was 2, but I learned how to redirect that into good causes." (Source: SFGate.com)
Her parents eventually filed for divorce and her father set up a bar restaurant named Relics when she was eighteen years old. As they are into business, she enrolled in the Arkansas State University and took up a business course. Being the independent type, Julia pretty much self-supported her college studies by working 90 hours a week in restaurants, retail stores, and factories.
The Steering Wheel that Redirected Her Life
Although her father was a passionate preacher, she has refused to heed his teachings about Christianity. As stubborn as she was, she didn’t get the point of living life with a clear purpose other than finding ways to accumulate more wealth.
At 22 years old, with Relics giving in to bankruptcy, Julia kept working her way up the restaurant business. She was living a life by just going through the motions. Until one night, while driving her drunk friend home, their car was hit from behind by a drunk driver. Julia suffered a fatal injury upon hitting her head onto the steering wheel resulting in a fractured skull.
She was hospitalized for months and her therapy lasted for almost a year. For the longest time, she couldn’t even string coherent sentences together. It was at that moment when she began to reconsider what her existence was all about. When before she didn’t care about many things, she suddenly longed for something to accomplish in the second chance at life that was given her.
Everything she used to care about seemed petty. Her mindset after the accident changed so drastically that living a luxurious life didn’t seem to matter as much anymore. For the first time in her life, she thought about leaving a legacy.
Tree-sitting for Earth First!
Her quest for meaning brought her to the California Rainforest where century-old redwood trees are being logged for timber by the Maxxam Corporation, the private owner of the land. It was seeing lines of gigantic trees that gave Julia a sense of purpose. The moment she set foot on the rainforest, she was certain she’d live the rest of her life protecting one of God’s most magnificent creations.
She chose the name Butterfly as an alias because when she was about seven years old, a butterfly landed on her finger and stayed there during the entire time she was camping with her family. She was since then called Butterfly by close relatives.
And she wasn’t alone in her crusade. Established environmental organizations such as Earth First had been rotating tree-sitters to stop loggers from felling trees. She was not part of any organization then. What she only wanted was to take part in their activities. When Earth First! needed a tree-sitter willing to do it for a week or two, no one dared to volunteer.
She felt compelled to do it, so she was chosen for lack of any other option. Despite not being experienced in environmental activism, she was backed by Earth First! as their tree-sitter for an 800-foot redwood tree that’s lived for around 1,500 years.
Julia Meets Luna
Not knowing what to expect, Julia ascended Luna—which almost lasted forever—on 10 December 1997. The longest she’d stay there would be two weeks and so she was told. Julia had no plans of setting a record or anything. It was more of a call of duty.
What she wasn’t prepared for was the stand that Maxxam is going to make. They weren’t willing to settle and would get the tree by hook or by crook. She could have just gotten down after a professional climber and buzzing helicopters were sent to scare her; not to mention the harsh temperature that could easily give someone a frost-bite. But Julia has named the tree and called it Luna. Naming something only meant one thing, you’ve started to get attached to it.
That’s what kept Julia resilient despite the threats and almost inhabitable weather. The thought of saving Luna gave her the strength to hold on to her branches when she could have easily let go. Supplies were sent to her from below by her ever supportive team. No experience would ever amount to the kind of dedication she has shown and Earth First! members were convinced that Julia is for keeps.
She spent a couple of birthdays in Luna’s branches and devoted most of her time replying to hundreds of letters she was receiving every day. It came to a point when she could no longer reply to the letters as they’ve become too many. What happened was she just asked the team to just read through them and only send her those that seemed special.
To cook her meals, she used a tin pot where she also put water for bathing. Her wastes were brought down for her team to dispatch. Winter was the most unforgiving season. When the winds got really strong, she held on to Luna for dear life. She could hear the tree reassuring her that no matter what, she’d do everything to protect her. It might be hard to believe but it’s her relationship with Luna that really got her through the toughest nights. The days stretched on and on until the two weeks became two months and two months became two years.
Finally, on 18 December 1999, eight days after her second anniversary in Luna’s branch, Maxxam and Earth First! reached an agreement. They have raised 50,000 dollars for Luna and the lot surrounding her. Maxxam will take the payment provided they give it to an entity that does research on sustainable logging. Two years in Luna’s branches, away from people, taught Julia lessons on which is important and not so important. She learned to appreciate life by the minute. As she expounded in an interview:
"In the tree I learned everything from how to flow with the storms of life, to how to communicate with people who at first seem different from me, to how to take a stand for love as a way of being in the world. My whole life since has been about sharing the lessons I learned. Underlying it all is the awareness that every moment is a learning opportunity; every moment counts. As a result I am able to experience life fully even in the minutiae, in the small places we miss." (Source: The Sun Magazine)
Luna was chain sawed by vandals in 2000. Fortunately, Luna survived with the help of steel cables to steady her and some herbal medicine.
Writing “The Legacy of Luna,” "One Makes the Difference," and “Becoming”
Environmentalists near and far celebrated Julia’s successful tree-sitting protest. Although some questioned her means, she was commended for her display of courage in the face of utmost danger. She wrote “The Legacy of Luna” to recount lessons she learned spending over two years of her life in Luna’s branch. The book became a New York Times bestseller and was translated into 11 different languages to meet the demands of international readers.
She then co-authored "One Makes the Difference," an environmental handbook, to influence more people into taking a step back and assuming responsibility for all of the actions one has done. Her latest work is “Becoming,” a compilation of her poems and some photos. She writes poems in her free time and publishes them in her blog.
Julia Butterfly-Inspired Songs
Her story has created such a loud buzz that artists were inspired and took it upon themselves to acknowledge her work by composing songs for her. According to Wikipedia, Julia was the subject of the following compositions:
• Karrie "Jesse Manzanita" Wallace and Juli Palmer wrote the song called "Julia Butterfly Hill, Are You Up There Still?" in 1998 Which was featured in the full-length documentary 'Butterfly' by Doug Wolens
• Trey Anastasio and Tom Marshall wrote a song called Kissed by Mist about Julia
• The Red Hot Chili Peppers song "Can't Stop" contains the line "J. Butterfly is in the treetop"
• In 2002 Los Suaves made a song in honor of Julia called "Julia Hill" on the "Un paso atrás" album in which the singer is "Luna"
• Also in 2002, Ozark Folk/Bluegrass artists Donna Stjerna and Kelly Mulhollan who perform as Still On The Hill released their album, "Chaos and Calm" which includes a track named "Beautiful Butterfly" based on and in honor of their fellow Arkansan, Julia Butterfly Hill
• Neil Young made a reference to her in the 2003 song "Sun Green" on the "Greendale" album in which the title character "Still wants to meet Julia Butterfly"
• In 2009, Idina Menzel wrote a song entitled "Butterfly" referring to Butterfly's concern for the environment
• Folk musician Kelly Green wrote a song entitled "Julia Butterfly" inspired in part by Julia "Butterfly" Hill
• Casey Desmond wrote a song called "Julia Butterfly Hill" which appeared on her 2006 record "No Disguise"
• Folk Musician Rachel Nelson wrote a song entitled "Julia Butterfly" in honor of Julia "Butterfly" Hill
• Reggae and hip-hop mashup band Zion Tribe, featuring members of Tribalistic Dayze and the Zion Eye Reggae Band (which included Theresa Hill, cousin of Julia Butterfly Hill), wrote and recorded a song in 2005 called "Luna" in honor Julia Butterfly Hill's efforts
• Folk-rock band Traveling Broke and Out of Gas wrote and recorded a song entitled "Julia Butterfly" released on their 2010 album "CAN YOU Spare Some CHANGE"
Asked how it makes her feel, Julia didn’t pretend basking in her celebrity status. She’s a self-proclaimed introvert and she is yet to get comfortable being on the spotlight. But as long as that gives her the mileage she needs to get more interested in caring for the environment, she doesn’t mind letting people into her private life.
Julia Takes Her Mission to Heart
Knowing the responsibility that her status comes with, Julia does her best to keep her integrity intact. She has stopped using a car since she was 18 years old and rides the bicycle when she has to go somewhere nearby. She has no problems taking public transportation for farther destinations. Since her tree-sitting publicity, she’s been invited as a guest speaker in events around the world. She organizes her schedule so that she could avoid riding the plane as much as possible so as not to further contribute to air pollution.
Julia also donates to studies and organizations that explore the possibilities of using sustainable energy. In 2002, Julia was arrested and deported from Ecuador after she participated in blocking oil extraction projects that threatened to render people homeless. She's also a proponent of tax-redirection. She explains how she has arrived at that decision:
“We need shelter; we need clothing; we need food. And this planet can provide for those needs, but only to the extent that we provide for what the planet needs. Unfortunately our country has spent billions in tax dollars to subsidize large corporations that use destructive methods for coal mining, logging, and oil extraction. We paid for the infrastructure that supports these practices. Our tax dollars helped build the railroads that allow the coal industry to ship its product. Our tax dollars have subsidized the petroleum industry in similar ways. Our tax dollars, which once paid for the protection of our national forests, now subsidize logging roads on supposedly protected land. The list goes on and on. Our government spends billions every year subsidizing activities that are destroying our planet and our future.” (Source: The Sun Magazine)
While living in Luna, Julia founded the Circle of Life Foundation, which “activates people through education, inspiration, and connection to live in a way that honors the diversity and interdependence of all life.” Besides the foundation, Julia also helped set up Engage Network, What's Your Tree, and We The Planet.
Julia has no problems doing what she did years ago if it has to come to that to save another tree.
Organizations and Programmes Supported
- Earth First!
- Circle of Life Foundation
- Activism Is Patriotism
- Rainforest Action Network
- Canopy Action Network
- Freepeltier.org
- Global Exchange
- Engage Network
- What's Your Tree
- We The Planet
Awards and Achievements
- 1999: Founded Circle of Life
- 2003: Became a proponent of tax redirection
- 2003: Helped shut down San Francisco’s financial district before the invasion of Iraq
- 2006: Protested the sale of the South Central Farm
- 2011: Released the book "Becoming"
- Lived on a tree named Luna for 738 days to prevent Pacific Lumber Company loggers from cutting it down
- Wrote "The Legacy of Luna" and co-authored "One Makes the Difference"
- Honored by The California State History Museum in the "California's Remarkable Women" exhibit
- Youngest person ever elected to the Ecology Hall of Fame
- Named by John F. Kennedy Jr., in Georgemagazine, as one of the twenty most influential women in politics
RESOURCES:
Wikipedia (Julia Butterfly Hill)
Grist (Julia Butterfly Hill, activist and onetime tree-sitter, answers questions)
The Washington Post (Julia Butterfly Hill, From Treetop to Grass Roots)
SFGate.com (Julia 'Butterfly' Hill's connections)
SFGate.com (Catching up with {hellip} Julia Butterfly Hill)
Time (Five Months At 180 Ft.)
JuliaButterfly.com (About Julia)
What's Your Tree (Julia Butterfly Hill)
What's Your Tree (About Us)
The Encyclopedia of Arkansas (Julia Lorraine "Butterfly" Hill)
The Sun Magazine (The Butterfly Effect: Julia Butterfly Hill On Activism, Tax Resistance, And What She Learned From A Thousand-Year-Old Redwood)
